Explore Nivelles, Brabant Wallon: Nature and Heritage

Discover a driving route that will take you to see the must-see abbeys and sites in Roman Païs!

Discover the Roman gems of Walloon Brabant on this driving route!

Follow in the footsteps of the famous Jean de Nivelles, the town’s iconic character!

From Nivelles to Braine-le-Château, get on your bike for a 38 km ride in the footsteps of the knights ... Go back in time during this ride in the heart of the Middle Ages!

Discover this 17.9km route on horseback, from Bornival to Ways! Itinerary for riders: NGI map 39/5-6 As you leave the property turn left onto the cobbled street Chemin de Ronquières, then immediately left again onto Rue Félicien Canart (traditional cobblestones). At Bornival primary school take a right onto Rue du Centre (also cobbled). At the bottom on the left is a remarkable farmhouse (Castia). The street splits into two, stay on the right. At the junction with Rue du Bois d’En Bas, take a left. As you enter the woods, the street becomes Chemin Hiernoulet. At the crossroads, turn right into Rue du Gendarme. Cross the bridge and you will reach Monstreux church (opposite), turn right here. You will go past the Abbey Farmhouse. After the electricity pylon (around 500m before getting to the R25), turn left to take the pre-RAVeL to Nivelles. Map 39/7-8 This pre-Ravel is excellent to Nivelles then comes to a sudden stop. Take the tunnel on the right then immediately turn left. Go along Avenue de la Liberté (Cité Maillebotte), the RAVeL continues after 750m. It is tarmacked until Genappe although in some places there is a grass verge. After passing over the N25, exit the pre-RAVeL taking the first left onto Rue du Pont. At the junction, go left again until you reach ‘A Contre Temps’ guest house. This guest house is on Tourette farm where cheese and local products can be purchased. Contrary to the RAVeL signs, horses are also allowed on this section. This is a good way to cross the town.

The former municipalities of Obaix and Buzet share the Obaix-Buzet SNCB (National Railways) stopping point, but they also share a single built-up area. The 8.6-km walking tour on offer runs along country lanes and paths through and around this agglomeration and features several outstanding farmhouses.

The former municipality of Obaix lies between the Meuse and Scheldt catchment areas. This 6-km long walking tour is an opportunity to explore the municipality's agricultural features (fields as far as the eye can see), and to appreciate the magnificent twin rows of trees that run along the main route between the two villages and the wind farm. 

Perfectly located on the Grand Place in Nivelles city centre, the hotel is close to restaurants and shops and only ten minutes’ walk from the train station. It is recently refurbished and features two studios with kitchens and four superior rooms. The hotel offers the B&B Hotels remote check-in service to make your life easier. This free service allows guests to remotely obtain the number and access code of their room on the day of arrival.

Nestling in green surroundings, this top-comfort hotel is set inside a 13th-century farm and boasts and quiet, rustic and welcoming environment.

Dating back to 1962, this traditional, family-run hotel in the centre of the village of Ittre is a good choice for meetings and receptions.

On a characteristic square farm, in a green setting close to Waterloo, the “Maison du Passavant” has just opened. This authentic and welcoming guest house can accommodate 15 people. It has 4 double rooms, one dormitory with 6 beds and 3 bathrooms.The Ferme du Passanvant is still a working farm, and the hosts will happily show you how they work. The farmhouse also has a shop selling local products. The farm’s barn is used by “Les Apéros de Philomène”, a producer of craft liquors. You can book a visit to their little museum.Come as a family or with friends to enjoy the homely atmosphere in these farm buildings and enjoy a timeless experience.

The Château de Seneffe invites you to explore its permanent collection of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation’s gold, appealing to all of your senses and triggering all of your emotions. “Splendour and intimacy” immerses you in a particular view of the 18th century. More than 500 of the Museum’s gold collection are displayed to showcase their function. They become the actors and witnesses of the 18th century in their own right. “Les Saveurs des Lumières”: Discover the drinks that were all the rage in the Age of Enlightenment. Hot chocolate, tea and coffee will be served to you in a stunning Chinese salon. If you prefer to explore the estate on your own, with friends or family, you can do so completely independently with your Smartphone or tablet. The Voyage, Faste et Intimité app is available to help you explore the Museum and permanent collection for yourself.

The single-nave church of the Récollets in Nivelles in Walloon Brabant, also called SS Jean and Nicolas, will impress you with its architecture and history. In fact, it is the church of a convent of Franciscan monks which was attached to it. Taken together, it constitutes the only monastery complex preserved in Nivelles, and is also one of the rare examples of Franciscan architecture extant in our regions. The Récollets Church is part of a remarkable architectural complex built from 1524 onwards using funding provided by Charles V and his aunt Margaret of Austria. According to her wish, the monks – who were established in Nivelles 20 years after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226) – were attached to the branch of the 'Friars Minor Récollets' (Frères mineurs récollets), who lived in an austere and retired way. After the disturbances and demolitions of the 1580s, the church was rebuilt and experienced a long period of prosperity and an incontestable spiritual radiance until the end of the 18th century. Since the departure of the last monks at the beginning of the 19th century, the building was allocated for a variety of uses: hospital, hospice, Royal secondary school and courthouse. The process of listing the monastery buildings is underway. The church, which is heritage-listed, was restored for worship in 1960 and its restoration was completed in 1972. The play of colours of the blue and white stones highlights the great simplicity of the edifice, typical of the Brabant Late Gothic style. The soaring bays and powerful buttresses elegantly punctuate the single nave of this vast sanctuary. The only decorative feature is the Flamboyant Gothic style tracery that adorns the tops of the windows. The interior space, profound and luminous, leaves an impression of soberness and vertical élan. The keystone of the choir is adorned with an escutcheon with the arms of Charles V. A bay in the south side wall houses the reconstruction of the shrine of Saint Marie d'Oignies.

The jacquemart (an animated mechanised figure which strikes the hours on a bell with a hammer) of the Sainte-Gertrude collegiate church in Nivelle is one of 3 in Wallonia. Made of gold plates brass, this representation of a warrior is quite impressive in size: 2 metres high and 350 kg in weight! The locals are so used to the automaton marking the passing of time the city would not be the same without it. visitwallonia.com/en-gb/3/where-to-go-in-wallonia/walloon-towns-and-cities/nivelles

This church was erected between 1887 and 1891, according to the plans of the architect Charles Licot, known above all for his restoration work on the ruins of the Abbey of Villers-la-Ville.The church is deconsecrated and can no longer be visited.

The church of St Gertrude became a double collegiate church in the 9th century. The present building was constructed from 1000 in the Ottonian style: an imposing nave with two side-aisles, double transept (at the east and west ends), a huge crypt beneath the chancel, and an immense front building dating from the end of the 12th century. Parts of the front building, including the bell-tower, were restored in the 20th century after the bombardment on 14th May 1940 which also destroyed a significant part of the contents. Building listed by RD (5-03-1936) Listed as an exceptional heritage site of Wallonia

Sculpture, panting, and furniture from the 15th to 18th centuries. In particular: Collection of late Brabançon Gothic sculptures. Collection of terra cotta drafts and sketches (bozzetti), plaster and marble works by the sculptor Laurent Delvaux (1696-1778). Brussels tapestry. Musical instruments. Nivelles furniture. Second floor devoted to prehistoric and Gallo-Roman archaeology: development of tools and technologies, aspects of everyday life. The objects come from excavations carried out in the region by the museum. In particular: excavations in progress on the Bons-Villers Gallo-Roman site at Liberchies (Pont-à-Celles). Large corner house built in 1764 to house the Trinitarian refuge of the Orival priory.

The St. Gertrude Collegiate Church is the pride and joy of Nivelles, with its impressive 102m nave with two opposing choirs and its 11th century crypt. This is one of the largest Romanesque churches in the world, an exceptionally handsome, grandiose monument that was consecrated in 1046 by Wazon, Bishop of Liege, before Henry III Emperor of the Holy German Empire.The Collegiate Church is still in use, regularly assembling Christians from the St. Gertrude Parish.You can also visit the crypt, the archaeological basement, the cloister and the central steeple that houses the bells and carillon.The southern turret boasts the Jean de Nivelles jacquemart, a copper warrior some 2.08 m high.The Nivelles Collegiate Church is a must-see. Don't miss it!

The cultural centre of Nivelles in Roman Païs is the performance hall suitable for all kinds of events, from conferences to plays, and even the well-known ”târte al djote” award ceremony.

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A bistronomic wine bar created by the Divino Gusto team.

A friendly bar where you can enjoy a delicious al d'jote tart accompanied by a local beer, for all lovers of Nivelles.The al d'jote tart is labeled 4 stars!

Le Cigalon is a restaurant in a very pleasant setting, with a warm welcome guaranteed. The food is very high quality, tasty and creamy.

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Set facing the Collegiate Church on the Grand'Place of Nivelles, this tavern with terrace offers a warm and friendly welcome. This is a temple of the Djote Tart too..! Open non-stop. Groups of +/- 100 guests welcome. Local specialities: Bière de Waterloo - Tarte Al Djote - Bière Hopus - Bière Jean de Nivelles.

Set facing the Collegiate Church on the Grand'Place of Nivelles, this tavern with terrace offers a warm and friendly welcome. This is a temple of the Djote Tart too..! Open non-stop. Groups of +/- 100 guests welcome. Local specialities: Bière de Waterloo - Tarte Al Djote - Bière Hopus - Bière Jean de Nivelles.

Le Champenois is a restaurant for those who love their food. It is housed in a converted old residence in the old neighbourhood of Saint-Jacques in Nivelles, just a stone's throw from the Collegiate Church. The patron makes everything on the premises (including bread, cakes and ice cream), offering you classic and inventive cooking which you can enjoy in the form of various deals.

Le Champenois is a restaurant for those who love their food. It is housed in a converted old residence in the old neighbourhood of Saint-Jacques in Nivelles, just a stone's throw from the Collegiate Church. The patron makes everything on the premises (including bread, cakes and ice cream), offering you classic and inventive cooking which you can enjoy in the form of various deals.

Perfectly located on the Grand Place in Nivelles city centre, the hotel is close to restaurants and shops and only ten minutes’ walk from the train station. It is recently refurbished and features two studios with kitchens and four superior rooms. The hotel offers the B&B Hotels remote check-in service to make your life easier. This free service allows guests to remotely obtain the number and access code of their room on the day of arrival.

gitesdewallonie.be/fr/le-mont-saint-roch

www.hotelnivellessud.be/

This brand-new hotel offers a stylish, contemporary decor and is an excellent choice for both business and leisure breaks.

A charming stop-over combining taste and comfort surrounded by natural beauty. The character of yesteryear has been preserved in the renovation of the guest house made from natural stone.

This brand-new hotel offers a stylish, contemporary decor and is an excellent choice for both business and leisure breaks.

www.fermedegrambais.be/

Nestling in green surroundings, this top-comfort hotel is set inside a 13th-century farm and boasts and quiet, rustic and welcoming environment.